Invitation
by 3xy
Summary: Buffy receives an invitation which leads her to an old ally only to find out she could lose him all over again. Post – Chosen and post – NFA. Definitely Spuffy!
1. Five Years After

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God and he created BtVS and AtS so that I will have something to love. :D**

**Summary: Buffy and the old gang receive an invitation. Post – Chosen and post – NFA. The story's definitely better than the summary.**

**AN: Fred, Wesley and Gunn are not dead. Angel gets Shanshu. And the whole AI gang lives with Buffy and the scoobies and the slayers in Scotland. Story is in Buffy's POV.**

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**Chapter 1: Five Years After**

It's been exactly five years today since we've fought back the First, changed the world and left Sunnydale. It was our biggest fight ever and the gang sometimes celebrates its anniversary. And when I say sometimes I mean once. Only once.

Everybody's just so busy making plans, talking strategies and it's all so tiring sometimes. You'd think that not being the only slayer would make the weight of the world lighter. But it still isn't.

Anyway, like I said, today is the anniversary of that last fight in Sunnydale. That's how most of them remember it: the day we defeated the First. But for me, it's much more than that. For me, it was the day I realized how much I loved a certain vampire and it was the same day I lost him. It's the day my beloved Spike saved the world. He died a hero. And no one seemed to care.

Dawn did sometimes. We'd spend some nights just talking about him and how he changed our lives. Because that's what he did: he changed our lives.

"Buffy." Angel knocked on my door. He has been staying with us the past couple of years, together with Fred, Wesley, Lorne and Charles, after they saved the world yet again. It's weird that they brought a dragon with them though. Angel said he tamed it. Why? I didn't know. "Dinner's ready." By the way, he eats like a normal person now. He became human again after stopping the apocalypse thanks to the Shanshu prophecy.

"I'll be right there." I answered him as I stared out onto the view from my balcony. Scotland really is a beautiful place. Too bad there are all sorts of nasties lurking in the dark here. _Nasties._ I always loved how Spike called things I'd just rather call demons. He walked further into the room, stopping to stand beside me. "How's Nina?" Nina is sort of Angel's girlfriend who's a werewolf. I get jealous of them sometimes. But not really.

"She's locked up safely in her cell." He said, crossing his arms across his chest. "Today's the day right?" I forgot to mention that even though Angel's basically human now, he still had his vampire strength, sight and hearing. Don't ask me how that happened.

"Yeah." I answered softly. It's funny that he's the first one to say anything about that day since he wasn't there.

"Do you miss him?" There was a slight jealousy in his voice.

"Everyday." I said without hesitation. He still didn't know how I really felt about Spike. All he knew is that 'he's in my heart' and that's an understatement. I really didn't want to talk about Spike right now so I immediately changed the subject. "Come on, I'm starving." We walked out of my room and down the hall.

The place we're staying at is huge. It's kinda like a mansion. But because there are so many slayers – teenage girls - staying here… sometimes I feel like it's too small, even though the house has 10 floors, 5 bathrooms and about 20 rooms in each floor, a training room, a laboratory for Willow, Fred and Wesley, two big dining areas and a very hotel-like lobby.

"We've tracked down a new slayer, somewhere in California." Giles said before taking a spoonful of food.

"We'll get on it tomorrow." Xander nodded, still wearing his eye patch. That only reminded me of those days.

"Is Andrew back from China yet?" Willow asked.

"He called this morning. Said he was on his way back with a slayer." Charles answered.

"Did you find out anything about the fluid I gave you last night?" Wesley turned to Fred. They're so lovey-dovey and I hate it because I envy them. God, I'm such a lonely loser.

"Not yet. But I'm working on it." Fred answered with a sweet smile.

The old gang… They didn't say anything about that day. Nothing. It's like they don't remember it… and him… "Guys, we're eating dinner. Can we not talk about this right now?" I got out angrily. And they didn't. Not one of them spoke after that. It wasn't really a big deal that they talk about work. The big deal is that they don't remember Spike.

I expected Xander to at least say something about Anya. But he didn't. Not even one quip about her through this whole damn day.

Dawn looked sadly at me before leaning in and whispering to me. "Here's to Spike." She raised her glass of wine. I can't believe how grown up she looks now.

I smiled gratefully at her. It felt good that at least one person understands how I feel. Though I doubt that she felt regret and longing and did I mention regret?

It took me a while to realize that Dawn, my little sister, was drinking wine. "Where the hell did you get this?"

I pried the glass from her hand and she groaned in protest. "I'm 22, Buffy. It's legal for me to drink."

"The legal age for you to drink is never."

She rolled her eyes at me, but still accepting defeat, and continued eating.

I went up back to my room after dinner, staring again at the vast landscape I saw from my balcony. I remembered that final moment in the Hellmouth, the moment where I laced my fingers through his and our hands burst into flames.

"_I love you."_

"_No, you don't. But thanks for saying it."_

"Stupid vampire", I muttered as a tear fell down on my cheek. I gripped the railing when I weakened in his memory. "Stupid." I muttered again.

"You weren't talking about me, were you?" Angel walked out into the balcony beside me. I wiped my tears off with the back of my hand immediately. "Cause technically, I'm not a vampire anymore." He smiled. I tried to smile back at him. "Buffy…" he started. I'm sure he didn't know what to say, just like the previous years where he'd try to comfort me when I'd remember Spike. "I have to tell you something. I think it's time." He shifted slightly and I knew he wasn't about to tell me 'everything's going to be ok' or any other words to try and take me out of my misery.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Willow barged into my room, holding a couple of letter envelopes. "Will?" Angel and I walked back into the room and met her half way.

"Someone sent us these." She handed me one envelope with my name written on it. "Xander, Dawn, Giles, Andrew, Nina, Fred, Wesley, Gunn, Lorne and Angel have one too." She handed another one to Angel.

"What is it?" I asked as I opened it.

"Looks like an invitation." Angel answered as he read the cover of the card he found inside the envelope.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Hopefully, the next chapter will be better. So please review and let me know if I should go on.**


	2. I Must Be Dreaming

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God and he created BtVS and AtS so that I will have something to love. :D**

**Summary: Buffy and the old gang receive an invitation. Post – Chosen and post – NFA. The story's definitely better than the summary.**

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**Chapter 2: I Must be Dreaming**

"It's an invitation." Angel read the cover of the beautiful, white card.

"Looks like it." I agreed.

"It's a wedding invitation." Willow carefully studied the beautiful lace on the edge of the card. "Pretty."

"It's from… William…" My heart raced as I read that name and Angel, because of his vampire hearing, shot his head up to look at me. "...Pratt and Melissa Rice. Do we know anyone by those names?" I cocked my head in confusion.

"I don't think so. Maybe one of them went to UC with us." Willow shrugged.

"Or maybe the groom's a professor there. His name sounds like he's old." I sat on my bed as Willow and I came up with more theories. Angel just ducked his head as he listened.

"Maybe we went to high school with them 'cause I can still remember most of our college classmates and neither rings a bell."

"Oh, look. I'm a bridesmaid. Again." Why can't I ever be the bride?

"Hey, me too. And Dawnie…" Willow said excitedly. And then frowned as she said, "and Fred?" She arched an eyebrow as we both realized it couldn't have been anyone from Sunnydale since the couple knew the AI people.

"And Angel's the best man?"

"Definitely not college friends."

"Or high school friends." I pouted.

Angel shifted uncomfortably again. "It's William…" He started before he looked up to meet my eyes. "It's Spike."

I laughed at how absurd what he just said was. "Spike's dead." I got out bitterly. "And why, if it is him, in hell will he know Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Lorne?" I stood up angrily, clenching my fists as I held back tears and screams. "It's not him."

"Buffy…" He looked away from me. At that instant, it made me wonder if he was telling the truth.

"It can't be." I swallowed hard. It was just unfathomable. I glanced back at Willow who looked at me worriedly. "Is this some kind of sick joke?!" I shouted at him. I didn't mean to. I was just freaked out. I stood up and started to pace back and forth.

Angel walked over to the intercom. "Guys, come to Buffy's room please."

"Why? What's up?" The voice said. I think it was Gunn.

"Just… come up." Angel said as he glanced at me. He walked back in front of us and said "You need to sit."

"I don't need to do anything." I said through gritted teeth. I braced myself for whatever it was he had to tell me about Spike.

He stroked my arm gently, as if trying to prepare me for something so horrible. Everyone arrived and gathered in my room. "What is this about, Angel?" Giles asked him.

Angel stared at the floor. "I… We…" He gestured towards the AI people and they nodded in understanding. "have something to tell you." He stared at me while he waited for my reaction. "All of you." He moved his gaze to the group that stood beside my bed. "A few years ago, just a few weeks after you closed the hellmouth, a package was sent to us at Wolfram and Hart."

"It was the amulet Angel had given Buffy. The one Spike wore the day of the fight." I listened to Wesley speak Spike's name as if he knew him so well. "And then…" Wesley struggled to say what happened next so Fred continued for him.

"And then Spike was there." She said slowly.

"What do you mean 'there'?" Xander was obviously confused.

"I can't listen to this." I shook my head and stood up.

"It's the truth, Buffy. Just hear us out." Angel demanded of me.

I crossed my arms, stood still and waited for them to continue their story. "Uhm… Spike sort of came out of the amulet." All of their expressions turned to shock and confusion as Fred said those words. Mine was just of contempt. I still didn't believe them. "He was incorporeal for a while, like a ghost…"

"A very annoying ghost…" Angel interrupted Fred.

"Until Doyle made him corporeal again. And then he stayed with us at Wolfram and Hart." Fred continued.

"Kicking ass." Gunn added and Fred gave a faint smile.

I hadn't noticed that tears streamed down my face as they said what they've just said.

"What?" Dawn said almost inaudibly.

"He fought with us during the apocalypse." Wesley looked around the room and saw they still hadn't recovered from the 'Spike is alive' part. "Spike specifically asked us not to tell anyone, especially Buffy, that he's alive... or undead."

"So you're saying Spike's alive?" Willow asked slowly, seemingly digesting every bit of weird and shocking information all of us had been handed.

I still didn't speak. I didn't know what to say, really. What do you say after that? Then, everyone turned to me and stared at me, waiting for what I was going to say. "I…" I glanced back at Willow who fidgeted with the invitations she was holding. "I… I need to lie down."

Angel started to walk towards me but I held out a hand to stop him. "Don't. Just… don't."

Everyone looked at me, pitifully, and headed out my room. I walked to my bed and sat down. Dawn stayed behind, and I let her. She closed the door after everyone had left. "Say something." She whispered.

"Like what, Dawn? Like what?" I almost shouted at her. I didn't mean to. The whole thing just freaked me out. "I'm sorry…" I buried my face in my palms as I tried to hide from her my tears. She sat down beside me and took me into her arms, wrapping her arms around me.

"Shh… It's ok. We'll find him." She said softly as she stroked my arm.

"No… I'm dreaming… I'm dreaming…" I repeated again and again while my little sister rocked me back and forth and tried to calm me down.

"Aren't you happy?" I heard her ask above the noise I heard from outside my door. The gang was talking and I could clearly hear them say things like 'that's impossible' and 'getting married' and 'since when'.

"He's getting married, Dawn!" I barely got out through my sobs. I pulled away from her embrace and saw that she was shocked, yet again.

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**To be continued…**

**AN: Please review. :)**


	3. Deep Breath

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God and he created BtVS and AtS so that I will have something to love.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews.**

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**Chapter 3: Deep Breath**

"Well, good morning, sweetlings!" Lorne cheerfully greeted all of us as he entered the dining area. Not one of us greeted back. We all just ate and drank or stared at our food. "Ok. Why with the frown-y faces?" He sat beside Gunn who handed him an envelope. He opened it and found the card just like the one I had ripped to shreds. "Oh! Blondie bear's finally getting hitched!" He announced again cheerfully. I just wanted to throw my toast at him. He glanced at me and finally realized why the hell everybody's so quiet. "Oh…" He mouthed.

"All of you have been here for more than three years now and not one of you said anything." I said softly but with anger still in my voice.

"Buffy, we already talked about this." Angel was getting impatient with me and Nina noticed this so she held his hand. "We promised him we wouldn't so we didn't."

"He just wanted you to have a happy, normal life." Fred explained.

Everybody fell silent again after that. I didn't know what to say to them. How in hell is this life normal?

"So…" Lorne broke the silence. "Are we going to the wedding?" We all just looked at him.

"I'm flying out to California tonight. I'm meeting Spike." Angel broke the silence once again. He looked at me and asked, "Do you want to come with me?"

"I…" I wanted to see him but not under these circumstances. I wanted to be able to hug him and kiss him and do much more than that when I do see him. I want to tell him again how much I loved him and how much I still do and…

"Maybe it'll do you good to see him before the actual wedding." Willow insisted.

"Which is still months away. Lots of time to get used to undead Spike." Xander added. I knew he didn't like Spike but he knew he meant so much to me.

"Yeah. And maybe you can stop it." Dawn muttered. She was being sarcastic but that sounded like a pretty good idea. "How does a vampire even get to marry? I mean, for one, he's dead. Plus, he's immortally young. How will that look like when the girl's gotten all wrinkly?" She rambled. She took it pretty hard. I think she was more upset than I was. Spike was like her best friend and even if she acted like she hated him after the long-forgotten incident in the bathroom, I knew she still cared for him.

Everyone, including me, dismissed her rambling. "Ok. I'll go with." I told Angel. I went back to my room that afternoon to pack some clothes. Angel said we will be staying there for at least a week. Planning the wedding, I guess. He was the best man. "Should I bring a dress? I should bring a dress. Something black. Something sexy and mourn-y. And skirts. Lots of skirts. Spike loved it when I wore skirts. Especially short ones. He really loved those."

"Not something I wanted to hear…" Fred whispered, slightly smiling at how anxious I was.

"I'm sorry." I continued to rummage through my big walk in closet.

"I'm sorry, too. You know, for not telling you." I sighed at her apology. I should say something like 'it's ok' but I would be lying. It wasn't ok. "It if helps, he talked about you almost everyday that he was with us." Ok. That didn't help. It just made things worse. Couldn't he have picked up the phone and call me? "And there was this one time he and Angel went to Rome 'cause they found out you were dating the Immortal."

That caught my attention. "What?"

"Yeah. I mean, they didn't know it was a decoy then …"

I grunted at the thought of Spike thinking I have moved on. Maybe that was the reason why he didn't want to let me know that he was alive: 'cause he didn't want to mess things up. "Spike should've known me better. I would never have dated the Immortal."

"Spike's a really sweet guy…" she smiled as she remembered him. I bet he flirted with her. That asshole. "He passed up the only opportunity to be corporeal again just to save me. He's really something…"

"Yeah, he is." That's why I love him. "I don't…" I started and she stared at me. "I don't know what to expect when I see him… Will he still have that platinum blonde hair? That sexy coat? That bad boy look…" which is so sexy.

"Last I saw him that's pretty much how he looked like." She shrugged.

"But that was years ago… I mean, getting married? He must've changed somehow…" I walked back to my bed where my luggage was and packed a couple of blouses I took from the closet. She bit her lip and fidgeted with the edge of my luggage which made me think there's still something they're not telling. But I just shrugged it off. I'm too anxious about seeing Spike again right now.

My talk with Fred sort of calmed me down a bit. But just enough to keep me from fainting every time I remember he's alive and that I'm going to see him and that he's getting married.

Aside from our mansion-like home, we also have two private jets. The other one was taken by Andrew and Faith to China. They should've been back by now with another slayer – yippee (that's a sarcastic yippee by the way) - but I don't want to worry about them right now.

"You ready?" Angel asked me as we both sat down in our private jet.

"No."

"Ok. Good." He nodded. It seemed like he was as nervous as I was. I wrinkled my forehead at him but I didn't say anything. "You know, I'm kind of afraid of flying." He looked at me nervously. "So was Spike."

"Get over it." Clearly, I was still mad at him for not telling me that Spike's alive.

"I know you're mad…" He started.

But I cut him off. "I trusted you." And I really did. He was one person I knew I could count on, aside from Spike, and he lied to me for years. "Let's just get this over with." I muttered as the jet took off.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think.**


	4. Ok Here Goes

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS. I really don't. I wish I do. But I don't.**

**A/N: Please take the time to review...**

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**Chapter 4: Ok... Here Goes**

"I don't think I can do this." I panicked, only about thirty minutes into the flight. "What do I say to him? 'Hey, you're not dead'?" What do you do when you see someone you thought was dead? Well, Spike stared in amazement and disbelief when he first saw me after Willow and the gang brought me back and then asked Dawn what she did. Maybe I should just stare at him too.

"I don't know…" I rarely saw Angel fidget so that must mean he was really nervous. Or he was afraid of flying, like he said.

"Well what did you say to him when… you know…"

"Uhm…" Angel shifted in his seat. "His name?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "That's helpful."

"Don't worry. I'll be right there with you." He held my hand as he tried to console me. And he did.

"Did he look the same? The last time you saw him?" Angel just nodded. "Do you know… the girl?" I was asking a lot of questions but Angel didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah… I met her once or twice before we moved to Scotland." He paused for a moment and chuckled before he continued, "she's a brunette. Kind of looked like Dru… always thought Spike had a thing for brunettes."

Spike has a thing for brunettes… I'm not a brunette. "Were they… together… back then?" I barely got the words out. I couldn't bear the thought of Spike, my Spike, being with another woman.

"No. They were just friends."

"So why didn't he come with you to Scotland?" Angel just sighed at my question. Maybe he didn't know or maybe he didn't want me to know why.

I spent the whole flight thinking of what will happen when we first see each other again. I thought about what to say to him, how to react, how to act, how to talk, how to breathe… I thought of many different ways on how our first meeting would go wrong. Or how it will go right. I've thought about congratulating him on his engagement, but that only made me want to cry. I've thought about kissing him but then I'd imagine him pushing me away and then screaming at me and then that only made me want to cry harder.

We arrived at Los Angeles at ten o'clock in the morning (Los Angeles time, by the way) after a very long flight. Good thing the jet was fast or it would have been longer. I don't think I would have made it if it was longer.

We took a taxi to the hotel Spike booked for Angel. (I can't believe he's doing all those things now). It had only one king sized bed because he didn't know that I was coming. But the room was huge and it had a couch. I called dibs on the bed and Angel, being the gentlemen that he is, agreed. Besides, I don't know how Nina will take it when she finds out Angel and I slept on the same bed.

I spent a few minutes wandering around the room and looking at the view until I decided I had to prepare myself for what I was about to do that day. "I'll think I'll go take a walk." I excused myself and hurriedly left the room before Angel could say anything. I wandered around the hotel to try and ready myself.

I walked through the halls, to the lobby, and finally to the bar. It was still early in the morning but what the hell. I needed a drink, badly.

After a few shots and after sitting there for almost an hour, just thinking and brooding, I finally decided to go back to our room. I needed some rest if I was going to see him tonight. I also think I need to get drunk, but that'll just have to wait until later.

I reached our room and was about to open the door when I heard a very familiar voice from the inside. "You told them I'm alive, then?" I knew that sexy accent all too well. My eyes widened and I froze at the door when I realized who it was.

"Well, you kinda gave it away with the invitation… Moron." I heard Angel say, still with that irritated tone he always used when talking to Spike.

"The soddin' invitation wasn't my idea! What else did you tell them?"

"That about sums it up."

"Good. Good. So… How did Buffy take it?" It was so good hearing him speak my name again… If that was really him… I missed him so much.

Angel scoffed. "How do you think?"

"Is she mad?" Spike said it so quietly that I almost didn't hear it.

It took a while before Angel answered. I could just imagine him pacing. "Hard to tell. It's… a whole mess of emotions." He said, his tone slightly softer. "But I think she's angry with me, though, for not telling her."

They continued talking while I just stood there, knob in hand. It was him. It was Spike. Oh God. It was really him. I banged my head on the door as I ducked my head to try and take in everything, once again. Silence followed after that and I got more anxious. I shot my head up when I realized I just sort of knocked on the door and maybe that was the reason why they stopped talking. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could before the door opens but I couldn't move. The door soon opened and there he was. There he really was. Sure, I heard his voice even before I saw him. But I didn't really believe it then. This was… different. My jaw dropped the instant I looked up and my eyes landed on those beautiful blue eyes of his. So much for the preparation. "Spike?"

He returned the same jaw-dropped-almost-unable-to-speak expression I had and whispered, "Buffy…"

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Please review 'cause it will really help a lot since I think only 5 people are interested in this. :D**


	5. Didn't See That Coming

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God.**

**A\N: Thanks again for the reviews. :)**

**Chapter 5: Didn't See That Coming**

"Buffy…" His eyes seemed to glisten as he welled up. I didn't imagine he'd react this way. I thought he would have said some smug comment and flash me that infamous smirk of his. Instead, it seemed like he was as shocked as I was. Like I was the one who was not dead.

I wanted to feel him, touch him to see if he was real. So I threw myself at him, completely forgetting he was engaged, as I wound my arms around his neck. At first, he just stood there, his hands seemingly avoiding any form of contact to my body. I then expected him to break away. But he didn't. Instead, he slid his arms around my waist until his hands rested on my lower back. Tears formed in my eyes when I felt him pulling me closer, tighter to him. I tried to speak through my quivering lips but all I did was tremble. I closed my eyes as I breathed in his scent. He still smelled of alcohol, smoke and leather and that made me surer that he was really there. Before I knew it, I was sobbing like crazy. I whimpered as he let go of my back only to feel him stroking my hair as he soothed me. "Shh…" he whispered, continuing to stoke my hair.

I then stopped crying and immediately pushed him away. He wrinkled his forehead at me. And then I took one hard blow to his face.

He staggered backwards from the force of my punch. "Ow! Bloody hell!" he shouted as he held his jaw in pain. I wanted to scream at him next. Tell him how I hated him for not letting me know he was alive. That I hated him for forgetting me. That I hated him for moving on. That I hated how much I still love him. But all I could do was stand there while tears streamed down my cheeks. I glanced at Angel who was staring at me pitifully. I glanced back to Spike. He cocked his head the way he always used to before he walked closer to me again. I clenched my fist and my jaw to punch him again but he reached out and held my hand. "I'm sorry, love…" he whispered. Like sorry was going to fix everything.

"Don't call me love." I said through my tightened jaw before throwing another punch at him. This time he fell to the floor. I needed to get as far away from him as possible so I ran as fast as I could. He didn't try to run after me.

I got back to our hotel after a few hours of wandering around the city and he was still there in our room. He stood up when he saw me enter. "Where's Angel?" I walked further into the room and placed my purse on the table.

"Out enjoying the sunshine, I wager." He shrugged his shoulders. "Always thought you two would end up together, 'specially now that he's all Shanshu-ed… I'm happy for you." He said before smiling sincerely.

Now that just struck another nerve. "We're not together. She's with Nina. I think you know who that is." I got out bitterly.

He arched his scarred eyebrow. "Still with dog girl, eh? Didn't see that coming." He chuckled.

"What are you still doing here?" I interrupted his musing.

He sighed deeply. "We need to talk."

"We really don't." I said as I headed into the bedroom. He followed me and grabbed my arm to turn me around. I jerked my arm away from his grip and he put his hands up and backed away in surrender.

"Just let me explain."

"Angel and the rest already did that for you." I felt tears forming in my eyes again and I held them back.

"But I want you to hear it from me…" he pleaded me with his eyes.

I paused for a moment before finally giving in. "Fine." I sat on the end of the big comfy bed and he sat beside me. I stared unseeingly, unshed tears still in my eyes, while I waited for him to speak. I glanced at him at the corner of my eye and saw that he was also staring unseeingly at his hands. "I just thought that you'd be better off without me…" I just laughed dryly at his explanation. He's such a dumbass. "I also didn't know what and how to say that I'm… not dead."

I just stayed silent as he told me all those lame excuses about how he wanted me to be happy and how I will never be happy with him. I really had no idea what to say.

After a few agonizingly quiet minutes, I broke the silence. "Do you love her?" I asked softly in fear of my voice breaking if I spoke loudly and clearly, even though I feared his answer, while a tear fell on my cheek. I quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand lest he sees it.

"Not like I love you." He said quietly. I turned my head to face him and his eyes met mine. Sometimes I wish he didn't say things like that because it really makes it hard to forget him. We stared at each other for a moment. He then got up, breaking our gaze. "I should go…You could stop by my apartment tonight, if you want. It's quite posh."

I simply nodded as he gave me a piece of paper which probably had his address written on it. He then gave me one of the sweetest smiles before heading out.

As soon as he left, I collapsed to the floor at the foot of the bed as I cried my heart out. I didn't think it would be as painful as this… God, how would I get through this?

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Please review.**

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	6. What About Lisa?

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God.**

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**Chapter 6: What about Lisa?**

"Are you sure you should be wearing that?" Angel looked me up and down as I fixed my hair. I was wearing a lavender off-shoulder top and a black skirt.

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. It's just…" One perk of Angel being human again is that I get to see him blush. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks." I smiled faintly at him. I just wished Spike would say the same.

"D-do you want me to take you there?" Angel seemed really jealous and it was freaking me out a bit. I mean, he is with Nina after all and I don't want to be the cause of their break up. I had done nothing to imply that we could still be together so…

"No. I think I got it." I smiled at him before heading out.

It took me about an hour to find Spike's apartment. I paced in the hallway for a while before finally deciding to knock. A very hot brunette opened the door. I wish I didn't knock. "Hi." I blurted out in surprise. "I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers."

"Oh! You're Buffy!" Ok. She was too excited to see me. Doesn't she know my past with Spike? She held out her hand and I took it. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Come in." She motioned me to come in after we shook hands. "I was just about to leave. I have this appointment… Spike!" She calls him Spike? I thought she'd be calling him William or Willy or Will. Anyway, the apartment was just a small place but he fixed it up nicely. I guess he has always had a knack for decorating, his former crypt being a case in my point.

"I hope I'm not interrupting… I mean… Spike told me…" I was nervous as hell! I mean, I didn't expect her to be there.

"Spike!" She shouted again, this time more of annoyed.

"Just hold on a bloody second!" I heard Spike's muffled scream.

And then there he was. "I'm really sorry but I have to go. It was really nice meeting you." She smiled at me when all I could do was stare. She was really hot. Really, really hot. She turned to Spike and said, "I'll see you tomorrow", and then she leant in. I hurriedly ducked my head before their lips even touch. They finally pull away from each other so I lifted my head back up to meet her gaze. "Bye." She said and then went out the door.

"She seems… nice. Where's she going?" I pointed my thumb at the door that had just closed.

"She doesn't live here." He said as he gestured at his sofa and I compliantly sat down.

"Oh..." was all I got out.

He sat on the couch beside me. "Do you want something to drink? Got more than just beer now." He chuckled.

"No… No, I'm good." I tried to smile at him. Awkward silence followed after that. Not the comforting silence we were used to. Just really awkward silence.

"I missed you…" he finally said softly, staring at the coffee table. I couldn't help it. I started to cry again. "Oh, Buffy… I didn't mean to make you cry." He slowly wiped my tears away with his thumbs. His hands cupped my cheeks and I immediately stopped crying when I noticed something was different. I didn't know what it was but something was definitely different. But before I could even continue my thoughts, I felt his lips on mine and I just forgot everything I was wondering about. His tongue brushed my lower lip and I submissively opened my mouth to him and closed my eyes. I felt him explore me slowly once again, felt him memorizing every corner, every taste, like he once had. I reached for the back of his neck and pulled him for a deeper kiss. His hands slid down from my cheeks, to my neck, to my arms…

"Spike…" As much as I didn't want to stop what ever it was we were doing, it was wrong and someone had to pull away. But… no way was it going to be me. After kissing very passionately for a few minutes, he took me in his arms and carried me. "What are you doing?" I said through my heavy breathing. He didn't answer me. He just carried me into his bedroom, pushed the door closed with his foot and headed towards the bed where he put me down. "Spike…" I tried to protest (just for effect). He crawled on top of me and kissed me again before I could say another word. I whimpered when he pulled away but then he just took off his shirt and resumed kissing and nipping at my neck and collarbone. When I arched up to him, I knew we wouldn't be able to stop then. "What about… what about… Lisa?" I barely got out. He still didn't answer me but he did stop kissing me. He almost growled when he got off me and turned his back to me.

Neither of us moved from where we were. I was still lying down on his bed while he was sitting on the end of the bed, his back facing me. "Can you just stay tonight?" He asked me, his voice almost breaking and pleading.

"Of course." I told him. The first thing I saw when he turned to me was his tear-stained cheeks. "What's wrong?" I asked him as I sat up.

He just shook his head and smiled weakly. "I just missed you, love."

If I wasn't so worried about him and why he was acting this way, I would have cried too. However, I just pulled him up further into the bed and urged him to lie down. And he did.

I rested my head on his chest contentedly, caressing his very sexy abs… Then my eyes flew open when I heard something. "Oh my God."

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: It's a bit of a crappy chapter. I just wanted to fast forward to the exciting part (which is the chapter after this one). Please review again. :D**


	7. Newly Human

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God.**

**A/N: Yey! I got reviews! Thank you. :D**

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**Chapter 7: Newly Human**

"Oh my God!" I sat up in disbelief of what I've just heard.

"What?" Spike sat up behind me.

It was impossible. I mean… Wesley explained that the Shanshu talked about only _one_ soul-having vampire and that was Angel… right? Unshed tears filled my eyes again as I wondered if it was possible that Spike could also be human again. I turned to him and saw from his face that what I was thinking was right. I slowly held out my hand and placed it on his chest where his heart should be. He flinched at my touch, maybe because he was afraid of how or what to tell me. And then I felt it. I felt his heart beat. I was dumbfounded. I stared wide-eyed at my hand that trembled and moved as he breathed. I raised my gaze to his eyes and saw them filled with regret, love, pain and longing. He slid his hand up my arm to my hand on his chest and held it. His hand was no longer cold. "You're heart…" I whispered. "It's beating…" I quickly jerked my hand out of his grasp afterwards. I got off the bed and looked at him, pain and anger evident in my eyes. "You get to be human again and you chose not to be with me?" I screamed at him as loud as I could through my choking voice.

"Buffy, it wasn't that simple… I couldn't just go to Scotland and be with you. I couldn't just leave Lisa." He stood up from the bed and I backed away.

"Why not?" I stared at him while waiting for his answer.

"It's… It's complicated…" He tried to explain.

It's complicated? That's the explanation I get? "I get it. You don't love me anymore!" I said angrily.

"How could you even- I still love you, Buffy, more than anything!" He was crying too and maybe I should've listened to him. Give him a chance to explain.

But I didn't. "I never should've come here."

I ran as fast as I could and as far as my slayer strength could get me. I didn't stop until I was back in the hotel.

"Buffy?" Angel stood up from the sofa when I burst into the room.

"I… I want to go back home. I don't want to be here… I don't…" I tried to say it as clearly as possible, even through my sobs. Angel took me in his arms and whispered things that could calm me down. But I didn't. I couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand why he would choose not to spend his life with me. He used to worship the ground I walked on… He loved me through everything… I was supposed to be the one… I was supposed to be the one… I was…

I barely moved or spoke after that. I just sat there as Angel stared at me, wondering when I would move maybe. "Buffy… There's something you should know." He finally decided to break the silence. I just looked at him, uninterested in what else he had to say. "It's about the prophecy…" He cleared his throat before continuing. "I signed away my Shanshu. But I still became human again and I don't know why… But Spike…"

"I never want to hear his name again." I said coldly. "Just get the jet ready. I want to go home."

"But Buffy… You have to listen to me. It's important that you know."

"I don't think I want to know anything else." I stood up before Angel could say anything else and headed into the bedroom. I closed the sliding doors and locked it before lying down on the bed. As soon as I laid my head on the pillow, I started sobbing again. I couldn't seem to control it. I curled up and cried myself to sleep.

It was morning when I woke up. It seemed like Angel didn't want us to go home just yet. I went out of the room to find the place totally empty. I then saw a note on the table that told me to go to a certain restaurant. And I did.

I showered and got ready immediately after reading the note and headed out. When I arrived at the restaurant, Spike and Angel were waiting for me. They looked like they were discussing something really serious. Angel saw me by the entrance and signaled me to walk over there. And I obediently did. Spike looked up at me and smiled. I just brushed him off, turning my attention to Angel who motioned me to sit down beside him. I tried so hard not to pay attention to Spike who was staring at me.

Angel started talking but I wasn't really listening. I was too busy averting my gaze from Spike until I heard Angel mention a curse. "A what?" I turned abruptly to him.

"The prophecy had a curse attached to it." Angel repeated.

"So you're cursed?" I wrinkled my forehead in confusion.

"No. I am, pet." Spike spoke up.

I tried to act nonchalant. "What is it?"

"Well, aside from being human, I got extra perks." He said sarcastically.

"After the apocalypse, we had to find some place to stay. Spike suggested Lisa's place so we went there. Lisa invited us in and then…" Angel broke off, seemingly finding the words to say. I raised my brows at him to urge him to go on. "Then something happened."

"A flash of some sort." Spike interrupted.

"Yeah. Yeah… Like a flash. And then we were human again."

"I don't get it. Where's the curse there?"

"Spike is bound to Lisa. And he has to marry her before a certain date and time." Angel explained further.

"Well, that's just stupid." I mumbled.

"Well, I didn't make that bloody curse, did I? You make it sound like I'm responsible for it." It's good to see Spike hasn't changed.

"So what do we do about it?" I crossed my arms, still trying to act like I didn't care.

"We can't… do anything." Angel muttered.

"What? Why the hell not?"

"The curse was pretty specific. There are no loopholes or spells to undo it…"

"Then just marry her, for God's sake." I grunted before leaving the two former vampires behind.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: This chapter sucks. I know it. So please don't put that in your review, if you do review, 'cause I already know that. The next chapter will be better, I promise. :)**


	8. We Didn't Just Do That

**Invitation**

**Author: 3xy**

**Disclaimer: Joss is a God.**

**A\N: Thank you for the comments. They really inspire me. Although I must say that I'm not good at writing things about demons and curses and twists and all that other stuff. I usually write about romance and all that corny stuff. So this is new territory for me and I'm glad you like it. :D**

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**Chapter 8: We Didn't Just Do That**

Spike followed me out of the restaurant into the daylight. I still wasn't used to him being able to walk outside during the day. "You know, I breathe and sweat now. I can't run after you every time you run off."

I snorted. "No one told you to."

"It's 'cause you don't let me finish what I'm saying. You're like Peaches, always interrupting."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Insult me more. That'll make me listen." I said sarcastically as I continued to walk.

"You won't listen anyway!" And he was right.

"I get it. You _need_ to marry her." I said sarcastically again.

"I really do." He answered quietly.

I laughed dryly and stopped walking to face him. "Why? What's the worst that could happen if you don't?"

He paused for a moment as I stared at him. "I'll lose my soul, Buffy."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Do you honestly think I care if you lose your soul?" My voice was calmer now.

He ducked his head and sighed deeply. "I'm not… I'm not a vampire anymore. If I lose my soul…" he broke off and clenched his jaw.

I nodded in realization. "You'll die?" I asked quietly.

He nodded and continued to explain, "Lisa worked for Wolfram and Hart and I befriended her back when I was still go-through-able. That's why we went there, for shelter. It was nearest place and Gunn was hurt pretty badly… The curse was the first woman who invites me in will make me human. Therefore I'm bound to her. She's kind of like my sire… Only she made me human. But she doesn't have a clue about the curse… Maybe."

"You could've just told me sooner."

"I didn't know how to."

We fell silent for a while as we just stood there in the middle of the street, oblivious to the people passing by.

"Come on." He took my hand and pulled me.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I obediently followed him to wherever he was leading me to. I just wanted to be with him and that was all that mattered.

The moment we arrived at the hotel room, Spike pinned me to the door and kissed me. "Spike… We can't." But he didn't stop and I didn't resist. How could I?

I lied on his chest again, still not used to hearing a heartbeat and his chest rising and falling. Also, I wasn't used to him being all sweaty after having sex. I found it sexy, actually, and comforting. It made me think for a second that we were normal and that I wasn't a slayer and that he wasn't a former soul-having vampire who could lose his soul if he doesn't marry the bitch. It made me think that we were just two people in love.

He stroked my hair soothingly before speaking, "I can call off the wedding. I could come back to Scotland with you. We have months…"

It would have been great to have him all to myself for months, without me feeling guilty because he's cheating on his fiancée. But I knew if we did that I would just fall in love with him even more and I knew how much it will destroy me when he dies… again. "I can't Spike. I can't have you only to lose you again. I can't go through that again…" He sighed deeply because he knew I was right. And I knew he didn't want to cause me that much pain. It would be better for me I guess to know he's alive somewhere out there. "Just so you know…" I lifted my head and stared at his eyes with my glistening tear-filled eyes. "I meant what I said back in the Hellmouth… before you burned… I loved you, Spike. And I still do…" Tears started flowing down my cheeks.

He smiled contentedly while he wiped away my tears and kissed my forehead. "I think I believe you now." Just then, his cell phone rang. I can't believe he owns a cell phone. He kissed my forehead again before answering it. "I have to go."

"Did we just switch places? You're the one who runs off now every time after we have sex?" I teased him.

But he totally dismissed it. "Lisa's looking for me. We're meeting the owner of this garden or park we're going to rent for the wedding." He said uninterestedly while he got dressed. Then I remembered that time when Willow did this spell that made me and Spike engaged. "_Well, first thing I'd say, we're not having a church wedding." _Now I wish the spell wasn't undone and we really did get married. Then we wouldn't be having this problem, wouldn't we?

"Will you come back?" I didn't hold back the fear and longing from my voice. I wanted him to know how much he meant to me.

He looked at me steadily before sitting on the bed. "I don't think we should see each other anymore… I…" he bowed his head before continuing. "I don't think I could take it… Seeing you… Being with you…"

And I knew just how he felt. I don't think I could take it either, being with him only for him to get married. "I understand." I said sadly.

"I love you. I always will." He whispered. A tear fell on my cheek and he kissed it away. "Goodbye, Buffy." He hurriedly ran out of the room. I don't think it was because he didn't want to be late but I think he just didn't want me to see him cry.

I got off the bed, wrapping the sheets around me. And then I felt someone behind me. The person spun me around and gripped my neck. Normally, I would have already got out of it but the person was really strong. "You didn't just do that." The person said.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Please review again. :D**


	9. Psycho

**Invitation**

**Disclaimer: If I owned BtVS then I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, would I? I would probably be begging anyone and everyone to continue the series. lol**

**A/N: Again, thanks to those who take the time to read and review.**

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**Chapter 9: Psycho**

"Get your damn hands off me." I pushed Lisa off me and she landed on the bed.

She got off the bed and stood so near me that I could feel her breathe. By the way, she needed breath mints badly. "He's mine, slayer."

"Didn't you just hear what we talked about, psycho-stalker freak? He's yours. Now get the hell away from me before I break every bone in your body." I walked away from her and gathered my clothes that were sprawled on the floor.

She grabbed my arm fiercely and turned me to face her again. If I wasn't naked under that sheet I would have kicked her ass already. "You think you could just get away with sleeping with my fiancée?"

"Please. The only reason why he's still with you is because he's cursed." I practically spat on her face. To my surprise, she wasn't hurt or surprised by my revelation.

She smiled slyly. "I know."

I jerked my arm out of her hand. "What do you mean you know?"

"It was I who cursed him. It wasn't part of the prophecy. I just used that to my advantage and made them think it was part of it." She chuckled evilly. "I was obsessed with Spike and he didn't seem to notice me. So I made it a point he'll be with me after he became human."

"You sick bitch." I almost growled at her. I wished so bad I was dressed at that moment.

"You can't do anything about it. And you can't try to kill me first before figuring out how to break the curse either. I die, he dies."

"In my world, nobody stays dead." I clenched my jaw in frustration.

"Not if I do something about it." She smirked evilly again. And before I could even do or say anything, she vanished right in front of my eyes.

I immediately grabbed my phone and called Angel. "Angel, where the hell are you?!"

"I'm… wandering around. Wanted to stay clear of the hotel so I won't catch you two having sex… Great. Now I've just given myself a visual."

"Get back here! I need you. Now!" I screamed at him before hanging up the phone.

I got dressed and waited for Angel to arrive. "What's wrong?" He asked, bursting through the door.

"It's Lisa. She was here." I was panicking. I needed to do something to get Spike out of this.

"And?" Angel didn't get why I was so shaken up.

"S-she told me that she was the one who cursed Spike. We-we need to do something." I paced back and forth across the room.

"Alright. I'll call Willow. See if she can fly in here as soon as possible."

"What about Wesley? Wesley could help."

"Ok. I'll tell Willow to tell him to come too."

"You do that. I'll call Spike." I told Angel as he dialed on his phone and as I dialed Spike's apartment number on mine. The machine picked up. "Spike. It's me, Buffy. Listen, you have to come by our hotel room as soon as you get this message. It's really important. It's about Lisa." I hung the phone up and turned to Angel who was sitting on the sofa. "What did Willow say?"

"I explained everything to her and she says they'll be here hopefully by midnight."

I sat down beside him and buried my face in my palms. "We can't let anything happen to him, Angel."

"We won't." He said as he caressed my back. "We won't…"

I turned to look at him. "Do you know Spike's cell phone number?"

"Spike has a cell phone?" Angel asked rather surprised.

I rolled my eyes. "I guess that's a 'no'." I thought about how to contact Spike and then remembered he was going to their wedding venue. "Oh! Do you have the invitation with you? We could go to the venue 'cause Spike said he was going there."

We eventually found the place and immediately saw Spike and Lisa talking to someone. "How do we get rid of Lisa?" Angel said while he hid behind a huge pillar.

"We could beat her up and then tie her up and gag her." I said coolly.

"But… she's human." Angel said hesitantly.

"She's evil!" I defended.

Angel thought for a few seconds. "Fine." I was about to come out from hiding when he stopped me. "But what about Spike? We can't just jump her. He'll fight back."

I thought for a moment too. "Knock him out first?"

"Normally I would agree to that, but he still has his vampire strength."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Let's knock him out."

After agreeing on what to do, we came out from behind the pillar. Spike saw us first. "What are you two doing here?" Lisa glared at me and took Spike's hand. Angel pulled her away and they started fighting. "What-" Spike was obviously confused. I interrupted his wonder with a punch and he fell back to the ground.

"You got her?" I turned to Angel who was practically wrestling with Lisa.

"Yeah." Angel answered, gripping Lisa's hands behind her back.

"What the bleeding hell was that?" Spike wiped the blood off the side of his mouth.

"We'll explain later." I held out my hand to him. He took it and I pulled him up.

We came back to the hotel, tied Lisa up on a chair and gagged her and explained everything to Spike. "So you're saying she cursed me to marry her?" I nodded. "Good to know I'm worth cursing." He quipped.

"This is not a joke." I glared at him. "You could actually die… _again_."

"Not really." He shrugged.

"You can't actually be suggesting that you go through with it." I said incredulously.

"Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Willow's going to break this curse." I crossed my arms across my chest while I convinced Spike and myself that Willow could actually do something about this.

"What if Red can't? What then?" He arched his scarred eyebrow.

"We'll find a way…" I said rather hopelessly.

"What if we off her?"

"She said if she dies, you die." I said quietly.

We both didn't say anything after that.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: I'm really glad people like this (based on the feedback) and that really inspired me. Really. So please review. :D**


	10. Breaking the Curse

**Invitation**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just the storyline.**

**A/N: Again, thanks to those who take the time to read and review. It might take me a while to update again. **

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**Chapter 10: Breaking the Curse**

We spent the day just sitting around, watching and guarding Lisa and waiting for Willow and Wesley. I would have wanted to do more but there wasn't much we could do at that point. We tried forcing Lisa to undo the curse but she wouldn't. So we just gave up after a few hours of trying and torturing.

"Maybe we should give her something to eat or drink." Spike gestured over to Lisa who was still tied up to a chair.

"You still care about her after finding out what she's done to you?" I almost wanted to reach across the coffee table and slap him.

"I spent more than three years with her." he frowned.

"Against your will." I insisted.

"No. They were pretty cozy." Angel defended.

"Yeah. We would spend all day just shagging our brains out…" Spike chuckled and then probably remembered that I was there. "I'd wager that's something you don't want to hear."

"You think?" I snorted.

"I'm hungry." Angel got up and grabbed the hotel menu. "You guys want anything?"

Spike and I both shook our heads. He stood up and sat beside me. "Everything's going to be alright."

I sighed and gazed at him. "I hope you're right." He gave me a kiss on the forehead and that calmed me down a bit.

Just like Willow said, they arrived a little past midnight. And when I said 'they', I meant Wesley, Willow _and Dawn_.

"Dawn, what are you doing here?" I glared at Willow who smiled innocently.

"She really wanted to come…" Willow explained.

Both girls stopped in the middle of the room, mouths hung open, when they saw Spike. Willow was the first to speak. "Oh my Goddess. You're really… here." I didn't expect Willow to react that way. But then again, she was always quite fond of him. I remember when Spike tried to stake himself after a few days of being 'impotent', she basically begged us to let him tag along with us. She approached him and gave him a hug.

Spike couldn't help but smile. "Didn't think you'd miss me."

She smiled widely. "Are you kidding? You were practically a part of the scoobies." But then her expression turned to confusion. "There's something different about you, though." She pulled away and glanced at me, then Angel, then Spike again.

"Yeah, I kinda forgot to mention that Spike's human again." Angel mumbled.

"Oh. Wow." She stepped aside and Dawn and Spike just stared at each other.

"Nibblet." He finally addressed her. "You've grown up… And you're letting her wear things like that now?" He raised an eyebrow at me, pointing to the very sexy and adult top Dawn was wearing.

Dawn walked slowly to him and slapped him on the arm. "That's for not calling." He smiled sweetly at her and then pulled her to him. She wound her arms around his waist and hugged him back tightly. "Wow you really do have a heart beat." She giggled. "But you still stink. You should stop smoking, you know, 'cause now it could kill you." Spike just laughed contentedly at Dawn's concern.

Wesley cleared his throat, making Dawn and Spike break apart. "Shall we go on, then?"

Everybody nodded and found a place to sit on. "Willow and I found a spell that _could_ break the curse." Wesley explained.

Willow continued. "All Spike has to do is light thirteen white candles, say an incantation and soak himself in hot water which has salt, sage, lavender and chamomile in it."

"So Spike has to do this naked?" Angel interrupted, his face making a disgusted look probably from giving himself a visual again.

"Let's just hope the psycho-bitch here doesn't do anything."

"Speaking of the 'psycho-bitch'…" Dawn started and everyone looked at her. "Where is she?"

"What do you mean? She's right-" I broke off when I saw ropes dangling on the chair.

"We lost her!" Angel threw his hands in the air.

"Well, thank you, Captain Obvious." Spike scowled at Angel.

"We'll deal with her later. Right now, do the spell." I ordered Spike.

"But… Buffy…" I turned to Willow. "We're not sure if it'll work. I mean, if it doesn't, the only person who could lift the curse is the one who did it in the first place."

"Then we'll find her and force her _again_ to undo it." I was so stressed out by then that I was getting a little too irritable.

It took Spike only about thirty minutes to do the spell. After which, Willow did another spell to see if the curse was lifted. Based on the expression on her face, it wasn't.

"I'm sorry." Willow frowned. Spike just sighed heavily.

"I-It's ok. It's not your fault." I assured her. It really wasn't her fault.

"Where should we start looking?" Angel asked Spike.

"Her apartment?" Spike suggested.

"Yes, because someone who escaped and who's hiding would go to her apartment." Angel said sarcastically, shaking his head.

"Well, where else would she go?"

"I don't know. You're the one who supposedly 'knows' her."

"Right. 'Cause I knew she was bonkers."

"She'll definitely go somewhere where we wouldn't find her, you moron."

"Where do you propose that is, then?"

"Abandoned buildings? Bars? Really crowded places?"

"God, you two are giving me a headache." I stopped their stupid argument as I rubbed my temples.

"Uh, guys…" We all looked at Willow who was smiling widely. "I could do a locator spell. That'll just take me a minute."

Spike and Angel flushed in embarrassment as they simultaneously answered:

"Right."

"Yeah."

Dawn, Wesley and I tried hard not to laugh at the two of them. Willow still smiled widely while she prepared the things she needed for the locator spell. Spike and I slipped into the bedroom while we waited for her to finish.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. "You ok, pet?"

"I'm really, _really_ worried about you." I said as I gazed into his eyes.

"Everything's gonna be alright."

I sighed deeply. I don't know if I should still believe him. "You keep saying that but I don't see any signs of things getting better. In fact, they're getting worse. I'm still getting used to the you're undead part. And then I find out you're not undead but alive. But then I remember you're engaged. And then I find out your fiancée's a psycho…" It was hard not to babble during times like these.

He rested his forehead on mine, cutting me off and said softly, "You're here with me. Nothing else matters." He leaned in to kiss me when Dawn opened the sliding door. He pulled back and slid his arms from my waist and chuckled sheepishly.

"Oh. Sorry." Dawn bit her lip as she stifled a giggle. "It's done. We found her."

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**To be continued…**


	11. Bugger

**Invitation**

**Disclaimer: BtVS is definitely not mine. But James is. Really, he is. In my dreams.**

**A/N: There's a bit of brutality here. I wasn't comfortable with it at first but I needed it for the story.**

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**Chapter 11: Bugger**

Willow and Wesley stayed at the hotel as the four of us went after Lisa. Since the fight at the hellmouth, I decided to put Dawn into battle more, seeing that she could already hold her own. She's gotten pretty strong over the years. I guess that's what you get for living with slayers.

"You guys got the plan?" I glanced at the three as we stood outside an abandoned building. They all nodded but I reiterated the plan anyway. "We don't kill her. We need her. Spike needs her." I couldn't have emphasized those last two sentences more.

We stealthily walked into the dark building which kind of reminded me of the first time Spike and I had sex. Anyway, the minute Angel, Dawn and I stepped into the building, someone jumped Dawn from behind. "Buffy!" We turned to her and saw Lisa holding a knife to her throat.

"If anyone of you makes the slightest move, I'll cut her throat." And she was dead serious.

Fortunately, Spike was the last to come in. He was able to attack Lisa from behind who immediately let go of Dawn. Angel, Spike and I took turns fighting her but she was really strong.

I blocked one of her punches but didn't notice her other hand, the one with the knife. And then she stabbed me. I staggered backwards, holding the stab wound in pain. Spike hurriedly came angrily at her and snapped her neck. What he did shocked us all.

Shock and guilt were evident in Spike's eyes and expression as he walked backwards, stopping when he had hit the wall.

"Spike…" Dawn whispered concernedly. She tried to say something but could come up with nothing.

He quickly broke out of his shock and ran to my side as I sat on the floor. He noticed that I was welling up so he immediately assured me, "It's alright."

But it wasn't. _Clearly_, it wasn't. He, somewhat, loved Lisa. And more importantly, she was our only hope to rid him of his damn curse. "But…" My lips quivered as I spoke.

"She hurt you and she tried to hurt Dawn." He cut me off, helping me up and draping my arm across his shoulders.

"Let's get back to the hotel." Angel commanded and led us out of there.

The whole ride back to the hotel was utter silence. The only thing we heard were the sounds of cars and people on the streets. I kept glancing at Spike who was sitting beside me on the backseat, holding my hand. He was staring unseeingly out of the window, seemingly deep in thought. Even though the stab wound that bitch made hurt like hell, I was too worried about Spike that I didn't feel it all that much. I squeezed his hand and he turned to face me. "Are you ok?" It was a stupid thing to ask, I know. But I couldn't think of anything else to say.

He smiled weakly at me. "I'm fine, love. Don't worry about me. It's you I'm worried about. Are _you_ ok?" I only nodded, knowing that my voice will fail me then. He touched my cheek and kissed me before staring out of the window again. I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Angel looking at us sympathetically.

We finally arrived at the hotel after about an hour. I was too worn out and depressed to tell Willow and Wesley everything when they greeted us with frowns when they noticed that Lisa wasn't with us. I guess, judging by our expressions, they already have an idea about what happened.

Spike and I went straight to the bedroom to attend to my wound. I sat on the end of the bed while he kneeled in front of me. Tears started to flow down my cheeks while he cleaned my wound. But it wasn't because it hurt. I was crying because now I could really, actually lose him. "Why?" was all that I could muster to ask.

He smiled at me again. "She hurt you… Besides, I've lived long enough."

"Don't say that! We'll find a way. We always do." I gritted my teeth to hold back sobs that struggled out of my throat.

But he just leant up and kissed me softly. "Let's go to Scotland." And we did just that. We flew back to Scotland that morning, skipping the whole sleep thing.

"Spike." Xander welcomed him.

"Harris." Spike nodded.

"Spike!" Andrew came running at him and hugged him. It was weird.

After a few seconds of very intimate hugging, "Ok. You can let go now." Spike tried to pull away from Andrew. "Andrew, let-"

"Sorry." He finally let go of Spike.

Spike smiled widely when he saw Fred. "Fred." She smiled sweetly back at him as she walked towards him. They hugged for like a minute until Wesley and I cleared our throats. Both of them smiled sheepishly when they broke apart.

After spending the whole day hugging and catching up, Spike and I headed upstairs, leaving everyone in the dining area. "So… where will I sleep?" He asked me when we reached the top of the stairs.

"Oh. I thought you could sleep in my room." But he probably didn't want to since he has just lost his fiancée. "But i-if you want to be alone, we have other rooms-"

"Where's your room, then?" He smiled sweetly at me before taking my hand. And so I led him into my big comfy room. "Wow."

"I know." I watched him walk around my room as I sat on my sofa.

"It's like a whole bloody apartment." He chuckled and sat beside me. "How's your wound?" He pulled up my shirt just enough to check on my bandaged stomach.

"It's fine." But it wasn't, actually. I winced as he pulled down my shirt over my stomach again. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighed deeply and thought for a moment. "Not really."

I couldn't help but think that what happened was my fault. "I'm really sor-"

The feel of his skin while he brushed off the hair off of my face was just appeasing. "Buffy… It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, alright?" I stared into his eyes and just nodded. And then he kissed me.

His kiss was slow and soft… It was sweet torture.

It was the first night in years that I lied on my bed completely happy. Spike lay beside me, my back on his firm, warm chest, his breath blowing softly on the back of my neck, and his arms wrapped around me, still careful not to touch my wound.

Saving him would just have to wait a few more hours…

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: It might take me much longer to put up the next chapter. But reviews might speed things up. Lol :D**


	12. A Sign

**Invitation**

**Disclaimer: BtVS is definitely not mine. But James is. Really, he is. In my dreams.**

**A/N: The ending of this story will either be happy or sad. :D I haven't decided on what it'll be yet. (This is far from ending though… I think.)**

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**Chapter 12: A Sign**

A week has passed and still we hadn't found a way to break Spike's curse. It seemed that Spike has already accepted that he will be dying in a few months and I hate him for that. He didn't do research with us or go with us when we talked to witches and sorcerers. He did nothing to undo it. Absolutely nothing.

I caught him a few times, staring out into nothing in particular, like he was thinking intently about something. It may be about Lisa or it may be about the curse. It may be about both. Either way, he seemed so distant lately.

The last time we kissed – or even touched – was probably the night we arrived. And then nothing after that… even if we slept on the same bed. And I miss it. I miss him.

Sometimes I wonder if things would have been better if I never went with Angel to L.A.. I mean, Spike would probably still be happily engaged, he would never have killed his fiancée and then he will live longer than just a few months.

But then again, sometimes I'm glad that he's here with me. I really love him. And I think he still loves me. But I don't know what we are at the moment.

Just like old times, then.

We stood at the entrance of the training room, watching Faith and Xander train with the slayers. We haven't talked about where we stand or what we are and I really wanted to know. But I didn't want to ask him. I guess what I wanted was a sign. Any sign. A gesture. Anything that would indicate if we're together or not. A hint. A nudge. Anything. "It's like something out of a movie, innit?" He chuckled, gesturing at the slayers.

Ok. Nothing.

The day had passed and still, Spike hasn't talked to me about anything other than slayage and the curse. There was still no kiss, or hug, or even a pat, or a tap. Maybe he wanted us to grow apart so that when he dies it wouldn't hurt for me as much… If that's what he thought, he's stupid. Really, really stupid.

"Hey." Spike walked in my room as I got out of my private shower as I had just finished taking a bath. I was still confused and sad so I just smiled at him faintly. "Get dressed. I want to show you something." It's been a while since I saw him smirk.

"What is it?" I asked him as I dried my dripping wet hair. To be honest, I was extremely excited. So I hurriedly got dressed and he led me out into the very big garden.

I stared in awe at the flickering candles elegantly scattered around the vast landscape, with a small table standing at the center of it all. "I know it's cheesy and… lame. And also something I would have never done in a million years. But I wanted to do something for you… So don't poke fun of me." He babbled.

"This is… wow." My mouth hung open and my hand supported my chest where my heart felt like it was going to jump out. I couldn't put into words how beautiful everything looked especially with the moonlight. Content shone through his eyes while a sweet smile tore at his lips. He led me to the table, pulling the chair out for me. I looked at the very scrumptious looking dish before digging in. "This is sooo good." I said, not ashamed that my mouth was full.

"I made that." He gleamed.

I was still chewing away at the very tasty treat when I said, "You did? Oh my God, if we get married, you should always cook." And then I stopped and frowned when I realized what I've just said. I glanced at him and saw that he had ducked his head and was frowning too.

"Sorry…" I whispered. I gulped down the glass of wine before me, cursing myself endlessly.

We finished eating dinner in silence after that. Neither of us knew what to say. Until he finally stood and held out his hand to me. "Come on."

"What? There's more?" I excitedly took his hand and let him pull me to wherever he was taking me. We followed a trail of red rose petals, walking further away from the glimmering lights of the candles. And then everything was just darkness. "Uhm… Spike?" I gripped his hand tighter.

"It's not much farther." He assured me.

And then there was light again. Candles accompanied the rose petals in leading us to our destination. "I should probably have a camera for this." I giggled as my heart fluttered with joy from everything I was seeing. And then I stopped walking, pulling Spike into a complete halt. "Huh?" I was utterly dumbfounded.

He whirled around and faced me, nervousness apparent from his demeanor. "I loved you more than anything, Buffy. I loved you even through every thing we've been through. And I still do. That's why…"

I raised my hand to stop him. "I can read, Spike." I said, still staring at the sign which had 'will you marry me?' written on it. I wanted a sign? This was definitely a sign. More like a big slap on the face. I stood still for a few seconds before finally thinking of what to say. "I can't." I quickly answered.

His expression turned to one of bafflement, with that sexy head tilt he always does. "Right. Not the answer I was expecting."

"I… You want to get married because you're dying. Is that it?"

He shifted nervously from where he stood and continued. "That's not it at all… I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if that happens to be a few months." He chuckled. Why did he have to chuckle? This was really serious.

Tears formed in my eyes again. I seem to be doing that quite a lot lately. "I can't… I'm sorry…" I mumbled and ran back inside, not stopping or looking back for even a second.

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**To be continued…**


	13. A Work in Progress

**Invitation**

**A/N: A short and crappy chapter. Forgive me.**

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**Chapter 13: A Work in Progress**

I waited all night, barely sleeping, for Spike to come up to my room and propose to me again so that I could say 'yes'. But he didn't. I only turned him down because I was scared. Not of committing myself to and spending the rest of my life with him, but of losing him. Again.

I woke up that next morning, alone in my bed. I looked around the room for signs that Spike might have come up at one point but found none. Just when I thought I could actually be happy again…

I got up lazily off my bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. I stared at myself on the mirror for a really long time, pondering why I do all these stupid things when it comes to love.

The first person I came across with as I was walking towards the dining area to eat breakfast was Angel who was headed towards the same place. "Morning." He greeted me.

I smiled faintly at him and at Nina who followed him. "Congratulations." Nina greeted me with a huge smile on her face.

"Excuse me?" I stopped in my tracks, turning to her. Angel did the same.

Nina's smile slowly faded. "I just… I thought…" The three of us continued walking into the dining area.

"We're not… He told you?" There was a slight annoyance in my voice.

"Fred, Willow and I helped him out with the whole thing… I'm sorry… I just thought…" She bit her lip afterwards; obviously, she didn't know what to say.

"It's ok." I said as the three of us sat down beside each other.

"You should go talk to him. He's really confused and hurt." Angel mumbled the last word. I turned to him with a questioning look and he continued. "I talked to him last night. We spent the whole night talking."

I didn't know they talked about things like that. "Yeah. Sure." But I wouldn't know what to say. Should I just open with a 'yes'?

Soon, the room filled as the gang went in, chatting and laughing. The last ones to enter were Spike and Gunn. I stared at him, waiting for him to look at me and when he finally did, I waved my hand at him awkwardly. "Hey, Spike." He grinned slightly at me and then turned his attention back to Gunn.

Angel, who was sitting beside me, whispered. "He's… adjusting is all." Adjusting? To what?

After breakfast, Willow and I headed to the library just like we had been doing the past week. "We could go to Amy. She might help." She suggested hesitantly.

"Can we trust her?"

She shrugged. "I guess not." Silence followed after as we both turned to the books laid out in front of us. "So…" I looked up from the book I was reading. I've never done actual research before because it bored me to death. But this was Spike who needed helping. "I heard…" Willow muttered.

I let out a sigh of exasperation. "Doesn't anybody here mind their own damn business?" Willow recoiled, seeing that I was a bit angry. "I'm sorry… It's just that I really wanted to say 'yes'… but this whole curse thing's scaring me… I don't think I could take losing him again, Will. I love him too much…"

"All the more reason to say 'yes'. Buffy, if we can't do anything about his curse…" she broke off when the library door opened.

Spike strode in and kissed the top of my head before sitting beside me. "Rupert told me you were in here. Any progress on my cure?" He leant back on the chair casually.

Confused and surprised would be the words to describe how I felt at that moment. Just a few minutes ago, he was cold and indifferent.

"Nothing yet. I figured we could go to Amy… you know, the former rat who turned me into Warren… but we can't really trust her. I-I found a couple of spells that could postpone the effects of the curse but… Wesley's also looking into some more spells and people."

Spike still seemed nonchalant about the lack of solutions to his problem. It seemed that I was more scared than he was. And that scared me more.

After sitting awkwardly in silence, Willow finally stood up and excused herself out of the room. Then it was just him and I alone. It wasn't long after that Spike stood up too. And then it was just me. Poor, sad, pathetic me.

That meeting in the library was the only time Spike and I talked through out the whole day. I went back into my room again that night after dinner, alone.

I still barely slept that night. Thoughts of Spike and memories of everything we had been through kept replaying in my mind until that moment when he proposed. And then I cursed myself again for saying 'no'.

It was about five in the morning when I heard my door creak open. From the aroma of alcohol, smoke and leather that filled my room, I knew it was Spike who came in even though I had my back turned to the door. I closed my eyes as I anticipated him to lie down. Footsteps followed rustling leather, and then he stood at the other side of the bed, getting ready to tuck himself into the bed.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips the moment he rested his head on the pillow. I opened my eyes and saw him staring at the ceiling, hands clasped over his stomach. There he was with that deep thinking again.

"Spike?"

He moved his head to face me. "Still awake, pet?"

"I couldn't sleep." He unclenched his hands and moved one arm under my neck so that I lay on his shoulder. A sigh came again, but this time it was one of content. He closed his eyes to slumber off. "Spike?" I got out softly again, after a few seconds of silence.

"Hm?"

I lifted my head off his shoulder and gazed into his eyes. "It's a yes."

"What is?"

I gazed at him meaningfully and a wide smile tugged at his lips.

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**To be continued…**

**REVIEW PLEASE. :)**


	14. Breaking the Curse Again

**Invitation**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this to their story alert… I still need inspiration though… **

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**Chapter 14: Breaking the Curse… Again**

While some people feared spending the rest of their lives with someone, I only hoped for it. Being a slayer, I've lived my life mostly alone even with friends who never left my side. And while I loved Angel more than anything or anyone, our love was so idealized that I knew we weren't really meant for each other.

What Spike and I had was real, however wrong it was at that time. And now, even though we're married, I still hope that I could actually grow old with someone… If it wasn't for his damn curse I would probably be almost perfectly happy.

The wedding was just a small, intimate gathering of friends and family, held a few days after I agreed to marry Spike. I wore the loveliest dress and Spike wore, surprisingly, a tuxedo. It was the one he bought for his and Lisa's wedding, but I didn't mind.

The 'honeymoon' was just perfect. But we didn't stay at some fancy hotel, or took a long vacation to some exotic place. We just stayed in my room the whole night. And that was perfect.

I spent most of my time thinking about ways to undo Spike's curse. Sometimes I think that maybe I should find a vampire and force him to sire Spike again. But I don't think he'd want that. He'd gone through painful trials to get his soul back, for me. It would all just be in vain if he loses it again. Plus, he was rewarded humanity and I don't want to be the one to take that away from him. Then I'd think we should just wait till that day and then let Willow bring him back to life. But I don't think he'd want that either… the same way I didn't want it. And then I would be totally clueless again as to how I could help him. So I lay on our bed every night, watching the ceiling, waiting for it to give me answers while I cried endlessly as Spike slept soundly.

"Anything yet?" I paced across the library as Willow skimmed old, thick books.

"Buffy…" I stopped and looked at Willow as she spoke. "Like I said before, only someone who knows every detail on how the curse was cast could break it. Like Angel's curse, that could only have been removed by a member of the Kalderash clan. In this case, it's Lisa, so maybe-" From the nervousness in her voice, I knew she was about to tell me that maybe finding a way to break Spike's curse was hopeless.

So I frowned and interrupted her. "Please don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying."

She breathed deeply and continued. "I could undo the effect of the Shanshu Prophecy. If it goes right, Spike would be a soul-having vampire again."

"You could do that?" My lips curled and my eyes widened at the thought of all this finally being over.

"That would be easy… But… are you sure you want that? I mean, you guys are married now. That changes everything. When he's a vampire again, he won't be growing old with you or making a family or-"

"I just want him with me." I bowed my head and stared at the floor as I pondered on what will happen to us if I decide to go through with it. "I-I'll think about it." I went out of the library and headed back to my room to think things through.

I passed by Dawn's room and stopped when I heard Dawn's voice coming from inside. "I don't want you to leave us again." The door was ajar so I peeked through it and saw Spike and Dawn sitting beside each other. Spike ran a hand through her hair and pulled her to him. And that just made my decision-making easier. I knocked twice and entered her room.

"Spike. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He stood up and followed me out into the hallway. "Willow thinks she can undo the effect of the Shanshu Prophecy and make you a vampire with a soul again… The curse would still be there but since you will be a vampire, losing your soul wouldn't kill you."

He ducked his head. "Do you want that? That I would be an evil soulless thing again?"

"You weren't evil even before the soul."

"That's just because of the chip and because of you, love." He mumbled.

"No. Because of you. Because you chose to be good." I cupped his cheek in my hand and lifted his face so that I could look into his eyes. "I know how much being human again means to you..." I broke off when I felt that I was welling up. I swallowed hard to try and suppress the tears before I spoke again. "But it'll kill me to lose you again, Spike." I know it was wrong and selfish to ask Spike of this, but I had no other choice. At least not yet. But we were running out of time. "I know it's selfish of me and…" I didn't get to continue since he stopped me by placing a soft kiss on my lips.

He smiled at me sweetly when he pulled away. "I'll do it."

His willingness to do everything for me, once again, just changed my mind. It made me realize what he was going to give up for me. Sure, it was for his sake too but I knew he was going to do it more for me than for himself. "We'll try to find other ways first. That would just be our last resort." Hopefully, we won't be needing it.

The gang and the slayers have been busy these past few days, fighting some vampire who sort of made an army. But they handled things pretty well, even without me and Willow who were the only ones working round the clock on Spike's curse. Wesley, Fred, Dawn and Angel would help out sometimes.

A few days later, Wesley gathered us into the conference room (otherwise known as the command central) hopefully to bring about good news. "His name is Jeremy Craig. He worked for Wolfram and Hart together with Lisa and we believe he could break Spike's curse."

"How do we know he won't double-cross us?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"We don't. But he is our only hope."

And Wesley was right. We don't really have much of a choice. Besides, if things don't go as planned, we still have that spell Willow could do.

"Let's go find him, then." Spike answered.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Just a short chapter so I won't lose the ideas and also to fill the gap. :D Please give me inspiration (in other words, review away).**


	15. Your Girl

**Invitation**

**A/N: Ok. So I know the previous chapter sucked… (There goes my confidence lol) This will be the last chapter (it's a short one) and it may also suck (i got bored with it. sorry). Thanks to everyone who read this.**

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**Chapter 15: Your Girl**

We sought out Jeremy Craig immediately after we found out he could be of help to us. And with all the resources we had, we eventually found him.

"_I told you. I don't know anything about Lisa's twisted scheme." _He told us pleadingly.

He wasn't lying according to Lorne. He knew nothing about the curse. And then we were at a dead end once again.

As it dawned on me that I could now, actually, lose him, (again) I thought about why Lisa did such a thing like this. And then I remembered one of the things Spike told me: You always hurt the one you love.

A few days after, Willow tried to do the spell she said she could do. But it didn't work. Spike still breathed and his heart still beat after. Willow tried a few times after that, almost crying when it didn't work everytime. She finally stopped, breaking down, when Spike asked her to.

Last night was his last night. And we spent it just lying in each others' arms, whispering sweet nothings and cherishing those final moments.

"How long do we have?" My voice shook.

"Until about sunrise…"

I clenched my fists to hold back the tears I didn't want him to see. It was almost sunrise and we only had a few minutes, if not seconds, left. If I could only go back to that day at the hellmouth, I would've saved him somehow. And if I couldn't, I would've stayed with him.

He wrapped his arms tightly around me while I rested on top of him, my head buried at the crook of his neck. "I love you, Buffy." He whispered before kissing my forehead. "More than anything."

I welled up again and forced the words through my breaking voice. "I love you, too, Spike… I love you so much... More than you'll ever know."

I felt him chuckle contentedly. "Are you my girl now?" I cringed at his words when the memories that came along with it flashed before my eyes.

"_I am not your girl! You don't have a soul! There is nothing good or clean in you. You are dead inside! You can't feel anything real! I could never be your girl!"_

"Spike?" I propped myself up and stared at his innocent, peaceful face when I felt his chest stop rising and falling. "Spike…" My lips quivered as I realized what just happened. I shifted up and touched my lips to his. "I've always been your girl." Tears rolled down my face uncontrollably as the sun shone on his face.

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**The End**


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